A young cougar that got trapped in a coop after killing two chickens in Langford has been tranquilized – but it’s unclear whether the big cat will be relocated.
Jacob Van Lierop said his mother woke him up Monday morning because the predator had somehow gotten into the family’s backyard chicken coop.
“It was kind of creepy, kind of freaky. I was eating breakfast just watching it,” he said. “There were feathers everywhere and it was just kind of sitting there.”
RCMP responding to the scene on Florence Lake Road called in conservation to help deal with the trapped cat.
Peter Pauwels said the juvenile male cougar was still in the coop when he arrived at the home just after 7:30 a.m., but it got out and fled once he arrived.
Cougar breaks into chicken coop in LangfordCTV News has obtained video footage of the cougar who couldn't fly the chicken coop after breaking in this morning.For more, watch Scott Cunningham's story at 5 and 6 and read about the chicken bandit here: http://ctv.news/EKEjeab
Posted by CTV Vancouver Island on Monday, April 11, 2016
Hounds tracked down the cougar to a tree a short distance from the home.
The animal was shot with a tranquilizer dart and fell a “fair distance” out of the tree. It has since been taken back to conservation’s headquarters for further inspection.
“If it’s in good condition and it’s a suitable candidate for trans-location, that’s what we’ll do,” said Pauwels.
He said conservation tends to see more calls for cougars in spring and summer months, but “this type of call is fairly unusual where a cougar’s actually stuck inside a chicken coop.”
The animal weighed about 60 to 70 pounds and was about a year old, he said.
Pauwels said there have been multiple sightings of juvenile cougars this spring.
Anyone who sees the animals is advised to keep their distance and not approach them, leave an avenue of escape and not turn their backs.
